The present invention relates to pilot's pants having integrated therein an inflatable bladder, with two leg portions that can be opened and closed by zippers.
Pilot's pants of the aforementioned kind are provided with an inflatable bladder which is connected via a hose connection to a pressurized air supply so that, in the case that the wearer of the pilot pants is exposed to high acceleration values as a pilot of an aircraft, resulting in a drainage of blood from the brain into the limbs, by inflating the bladder a counter pressure is established which exerts pressure onto the limbs. Since these pilot's pants are usually worn over regular clothing of the pilot the leg portions of such pilot's pants are usually provided with zippers with which the leg portions can be opened and closed so that during the dressing step the pilot's pants are placed around the legs and then, by zipping up the zippers, are brought into shape.
With known pilot's pants of the aforementioned kind a single continuous zipper is provided for closing the leg portions which extends over the t high area as well as the shin area, whereby the sliding piece for closing the zipper is slid from the top to the bottom towards the foot section. This closing direction of the sliding piece is a prerequisite for loading the sliding piece in the closing direction so that during high acceleration forces the zipper cannot slide open.
Such one-piece zippers have the disadvantage that in the knee area between the thigh and the shin the zippers are usually under constant bending stress due to the regular walking motion of the pilot. Due to this constant bending stress damages to the zippers may occur which during the stressing of the zipper during the inflation of the inner bladder of the pilot's pants may result in opening of the zipper since during the inflated state of the pilot's pants a considerable load is exerted onto the zippers of the leg portions. When the zippers give under the load of the inflated pilot pants an unpredictable pressure loss may occur within the pilot's pants which in return will cause a malfunction of the pants so that the blood drainage from the brain of the wearer that is to be prevented will occur.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a pilot's pants of the aforementioned kind in which the unfavorable stress on the zippers is reduced.